Goodbye to you.

Tonight at church we had our going-away party for Captain Darlene and Major Jim. Driving there I put in my Starfield CD and thought about how this is probably going to be the last time I ever see them. Needless to say the emotionless Sarah became emotional behind her Audrey-inspired sunglasses.


I have no one word to describe them. I know I love them like no other pastor that has come through the Salvation Army Stephenville Community Church. Heck, I haven't even liked half of them.


Jamelia and Ryan (their children) have literally grown up in our church. When they came Ryan was 8 months and Jamelia 2 and a half. Now they are 6 and 9, it's crazy. I remember them learning to talk, Ryan walking in church for the first time. Seeing them both graduate from kindergarten, it's all so obscure.


Darlene and Jim are amazing people. She is the most loving, caring and giving person you will ever meet. She can sing the socks off Josh Groban, and can make you giggle in an instant. She can raise a family, minister to a church and help anyone who needs it all in the same twenty-four hours. He is sometimes hard to get along with, we've never once truly seen eye-to-eye. But he knows the answer to any question I have about faith or religion. He knows how to pray for me when I need him to. He can make me question myself, make me open up in a way I never have. He can make me steal his car and hide it in the woods.


The essence of who they are was present when I asked them if I could get a quick picture with them. I just sidled my way next to Mrs. Captain, because there were a good hundred people waiting to say goodbye. My mom was just about to snap it fast when Major said "Wait." He grabbed my arm and put me between the two of them so that they were surrounding me. "There," he said "Perfect."


I will miss them, and I know I won't be the only one. To say we love them, the church got them an Odelle original (Robert I believe, is actually the son she has painted here). It was special for me that we got them a painting done by Odelle, I'm not sure why though. Maybe because I know Robert (Sandy and Odelle too) love Major and Captain too, he knows what good people they are.


Today was a reason to celebrate in my church as well. They announced that they have gotten word from the "Big Guys" and our church will be started in August. By then we'll have new pastors, I'll probably be gone and nothing will ever be the same again.

The next time I come back to S'ville to go to church, I won't know where the bathroom is. I won't know where the band meets to pray before chruch starts. I won't even know if we'll still have a band. That breaks my heart.

So this post is a tribute to not only the Captain's, but to everyone that has passed through my life in that church and moved on. Jamelia, Ryan, Wayne, Gerri, Red, Gladys, Verlie, Tony, Debbie, Megan, Beckie, Sarah, Adam, Peter, Deborah, Evangeline, Raymond, Andrew, Stephanie, Heidi, April, Ashlee and so many more.